After World War II, housing was scarce in Durham and many young couples who were attending Duke University lived in Piedmont Village. Among these students were Mr. & Mrs. Desrosiers. Each Sunday many of the students would go to various churches, the closest being in Creedmoor, NC. However, many of the students and their children did not attend church.

Under the leadership and inspiration of Mr. & Mrs. Desrosiers, the students decided to have Sunday School in the village during 1946. They started an interdenominational Sunday School and used interdenominational literature. At various times they would invite different preachers in the area to come and preach.

After several months, a young Divinity student by the name of Rev. Spurgeon McCart moved into Piedmont Village. About this time additional people, who were working at the hospital, also began moving into Butner. Among some of the first ones to come were a Mr. Andrew Stoddart and a Mr. Bill Lathan. Rev. McCart, assisted by Mr. Norman Desrosiers, persuaded the Durham District of the Methodist Church to help them start a church in Butner.

In January 1948, St. Paul’s, a black church in Oxford, NC, bought the present church from the Chaplain General’s War Department in Washington, DC. Their intent was to tear down the church and utilize the lumber to build an educational building in Oxford. However, the cost of tearing down the building and moving the materials to Oxford was excessive. Consequently, they sold the church to the Durham District for $1,500.00. The Methodist Church of Durham, under the leadership of the District Superintendent, hired Shaw Paint Company to paint the church (previously an Army Chapel), but to their surprise, the company painted it for free.

The church was initially organized on April 18, 1948 with fifty members and the first pastor was Spurgeon McCart. Norman Desrosiers was the Choir Director, and Bill Lathan, the Lay Leader. During this same timeframe Rev. McCart and Mr. Desrosiers held services for the patients at the hospital.

Later that same year the State renovated the current parsonage and gave it, along with 125 feet of property on E Street to the church as a “grant-in-aid.” In 1949, the Durham District presented the deed to the church structure to Norman Desrosiers and Bill Lathan. The following year, the State gave the church an additional “grant-in-aid” of 150 feet of land on E Street on which the church structure was located. Also, in 1950, the State sold the building on the corner of E and 14th Street, which had been used by the church for Sunday School, to a certain individual and the church subsequently purchased it from this individual for $400.00. This building was sold upon completion of a new Education Building and is now a Masonic Lodge.

In 1968, the Church School moved into the new Education Building which was the result of years of planning and faithful stewardship along with a grant from the Duke Endowment. Architectural plans were drawn up for a three building facility which included, in addition to the Education Building, a fellowship hall, and a new adjoining sanctuary. The completed cost of construction for the Education Building was in excess of $93,000.00. With the assistance of the Duke Endowment, this indebtedness was paid off in 1979.

The church grew from fifty members to approximately one hundred and seventy members in the early 70’s. The church presently has approximately one hundred and twenty members. During the past several years the church facilities have been renovated and in 2005, the church purchased the property between the sanctuary and the parsonage (approximately 2.5 acres) for future expansion.